SHOPS have been full of memorabilia to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
From bunting to commemorative coins and tea towels, it’s a mix of good and bad – but some items may be worth a small fortune in years to come.
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Searches for Queen’s 70th Jubilee merchandise leapt 700 per cent in the run-up to the festivities, according to eBay.
Frances Monro, head of collectibles at eBay UK, said: “There are plenty of mementoes on sale – and some could be worth considerably more in the future.”
Here are some of the most promising items to keep an eye out for.
Bank notes and coins
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RARE coins and banknotes can sell for considerably more than their face value.
On Tuesday, the first banknote to feature a picture of the Queen fetched £800 at auction.
The five-shilling note was issued in Bermuda and dated October 20, 1952 – the year the Queen came to the throne.
On eBay, a commemorative gold sovereign coin from 2012 sold for £499.
The limited- edition coin is still in its plastic packaging and display box.
If you’re buying online, check the seller’s reviews and see what similar coins have sold for. Sites such as ChangeChecker can tell you how rare circulated coins are.
If you’re hoping to snap up a relic of the future, the Royal Mint is selling special-edition 50p coins for the Diamond Jubilee for £7.
Brean Horne, an expert at comparison site NerdWallet, said: “It remains to be seen whether 2022 coins will stand the test of time like their counterparts, so the key is to not overspend.”
Mugs and crockery
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IF you’re planning a cream tea fit for a Queen, you might want to use your old crockery.
Limited-edition plates and mugs can attract buyers. A limited-edition Queen’s Golden Jubilee tea set from Fortnum & Mason recently sold for £349.
Still in the original packaging, it contains a teapot, two cups and saucers and a serving plate.
We found a similar one sold out on the Fortnum & Mason website for £250.
At Chiswick Auction House, a commemorative cutlery set for the Queen’s christening went for £175.
Meanwhile, a silver mug from the Queen’s 1977 Silver Jubilee was bought for £225.
Charles Hanson, director at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “We always see interest pick up at this type of occasion. Provenance is key to items being really valuable, but even £5 novelty egg cups can increase in value by 20 per cent around events like a jubilee.”
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Commemorative flags
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STREETS have been lined with Union Jack bunting this week, but some flags could be worth a fortune.
Commemorative flags in good condition can fetch hundreds of pounds at auction.
It’s worth rooting about the loft to see if you have any hidden treasures.
One antique 1897 Queen Victoria flag recently sold for £200 on eBay.
Meanwhile, a listing of two flags from 1953 got snapped up for £100, despite the fact they had some wear and tear.
A set of cardboard decorations from the Queen’s coronation in 1953 sold at auction for £175.
Expert Brean Horne said: “It’s hard to say exactly what constitutes a valuable flag, but if it’s different, marks a defining moment, and is kept in good condition, you never know what it could be worth a few years down the line.”
Toys and dolls
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JOHN LEWIS sold out of its Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll in just three seconds – and the £95 doll is now selling for more than double that on eBay.
But maker Mattel also released a £99.99 Kate and Wills Barbie couple ahead of their 2011 wedding, and these haven’t held their value – we found one recent listing that had gone for £45.
Fancier figurines fetch far more. A Coalport figurine of the Queen and Prince Philip sold for £230 and a limited-edition Royal Doulton figurine of the Queen at her coronation fetched £200.
A limited-edition Wallace and Gromit figurine made for the Diamond Jubilee even sold for £265.
Expert Brean Horne said: “If you have figurines you intend to sell in the future, you may want to keep them in their original box to keep them safe and to try and preserve their value.”
Wedding cake
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SLICES of royal wedding cake have sold for thousands of pounds in the past.
A piece of Charles and Diana’s 1981 one sold for £1,850 at auction, while William and Kate’s from their 2011 wedding fetched almost £6,000 in 2014.
A slice of the Queen’s diamond anniversary cake, still in its original tin box and wrapped in foil, went for £250.
But finding a genuine morsel is not a piece of cake. These were sold at specialist auctions and they don’t pop up regularly.
The most recent listing we could find was from August 2021. And in case anyone’s tempted, buyers have been advised not to eat the items.
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